What's Hot: 2100mAh battery more than doubles your iPhone's capacity. Rubberized and impact-resistant resistant construction. Bottom of case slides off in seconds so you can dock/charge your phone without completely uninstalling the case.

What's Not: Requires the use of a headphone adaptor (included).

Reviewed by Tom Slayton

The Juice Pack Plus provides 2100 mAh of power and substantial drop protection without adding a great deal of bulk to your iPhone 5.

Size and Fit

Mophie's Juice Pack Plus for the iPhone 5 installs quickly and easily. Like the Juice Pack Air, the case is comprised of two pieces that install/uninstall easily (but not too easily). Thoughtfully, the smaller of the two pieces is on the bottom, which means you can dock your phone or charge it directly without removing it completely from the case. The only noticeable size increase is at the base, and that is to accommodate the Lightning Connector and the charge circuitry.

Features and Quality

The Mophie Juice Pack Plus packs an impressive 2100mAh of power, which more than doubles your iPhone's battery capacity. After putting it through its paces for over a week, I can say with confidence that this is the best battery case I've ever tested. If, like me, your handheld is more like a portable computer than a phone, you probably know what it means to run out of power. With the Juice Pack Plus I found that I was unable to completely deplete it in a single day, even with heavy, and near constant use (internet/video/gaming/phone). Just remember that the best way to get the most out of a battery case is to activate it only when your phone goes below 20% charge, and then turn it off again when your phone's battery hits 80%. This is because cell phone batteries draw more current to charge the battery's last 20%. If you use the above procedure, you will likely be able to do it twice before the case's battery is depleted. As previously noted, the bottom of the case removes easily for charging/docking/syncing. It's important to note, however, that all of these things can be done via the case's mini USB jack.

As with the Air, Mophie included its usual quality features to enhance usability, such as full access to buttons, ports, and switches, an LED power indicator, and, of course, the all-important standby switch. The outer surface of the Juice Pack Plus is rubberized, making it easy to hold onto. This also gives it some extra shock absorption in case of drops. While I didn't manage to drop my phone before writing this review, the Juice Pack Plus feels very substantial, which gives me confidence that it would live up to Mophie's claims of impact resistance. Lastly, the case comes fully charged in case you are buying this on the run, and need immediate power. As with every other battery case I've ever seen for the iPhone 5, you will need the included headphone adaptor while using this case (with most headphones) due to the fact that the jack must be accessed by way of a narrow hole that passes through the thick lower portion of the case. This is unavoidable due to Apple's decision to relocate the headphone jack next to the charge/sync port.

Style

The Juice Pack Plus is available in black, white, and red. While I generally prefer more angular shapes, the rounded back helps to minimize the case's bulk at the edges; a fair trade in my estimation. It's not a flashy case, but it doesn't try to be.

Summary

The Juice Pack Plus is the best battery case I've ever tested. It's well-made, impact resistant, and its capacity actually exceeds that of your iPhone 5's internal battery by a cool 20%. For power users and habitual phone droppers, this is even better than Mophie's Juice Pack Air, which is no mean feat.